Dream race: Fitchburg native runs in Olympic marathon trials

Sentinel and Enterprise staff photos can be ordered by visiting our SmugMug site.

Fitchburg native Christine (Laakso) Shaw competed in the race of her life on Saturday, running in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Los Angeles, with a spot in the 2016 Rio Games awaiting the elite finishers.

Although hot temperatures ended the race early for a number of competitors, Shaw gutted it out, and soaked up the atmosphere in the process.

"I expected the race itself to be awesome, but it went beyond the race itself," Shaw said. "We got there Wednesday, and from that point on until we left it was amazing. We were surrounded by so many of the runners who worked so hard to get there, it felt like a celebration of the hard work we've done."

Soaring temperatures created unfavorable running conditions, hovering around 69 degrees at the starting line. By the time the elite runners crossed the finish line, that number had jumped to 80 degrees.

"It sounds like we had the complete opposite of what people in Fitchburg were experiencing," Shaw said. "L.A. was experiencing higher temps than the normal this time of year, and it was definitely hotter than I'm used to."

Shaw posted a 142nd-place finish with a time of 3:12:36. Only 149 runners finished the race from a field of 198 women who started. Shaw's average mile was 7:21 on the 26.2-mile course.

"The way my race unfolded was I felt strong through the first half, and then from that point on it became about survival," Shaw said. "I did what I had to do to be able to finish the race.

Advertisement

"I think the heat took a lot out of people, and there was a point in the race where I had to make the decision whether I should or could finish. I told myself, as long I wasn't going to die or get injured, that I was going to finish."

Shaw took a liking to the course, which featured a series of loops, passing downtown Los Angeles, the University of Southern California campus, and the Coliseum.

"It was a completely flat course, which I actually prefer," Shaw said. "I didn't mind the loops at all, it allowed you to settle into a good rhythm, and it reminded me of track races, which I've always enjoyed."

Strong crowd support nearly the entire length of the course gave Shaw the motivation to keep going.

"It was pretty much wall-to-wall," Shaw said. "The support we got, especially at the start and finish areas, was great. I got to see my teammates and others who came to watch the race, and it was definitely helpful."

The support extended beyond the city limits, as friends and family from Fitchburg and New Hampshire reached out to Shaw by social media and phone before, after and during the race.

"A lot of people weren't able to make it out, but it's important that they know that all that encouragement went a long way," Shaw said. "This was especially true for the late stages of the race, where things became very tough."

As Shaw began conserving energy late in the race, she had the opportunity to see the elite men's pack pass by, and then, on her final approach, the women's leaders closed in.

"On my final loop the women's leaders came into sight," Shaw said. "It was inspiring to see my idols out there, and then seeing them walking around the streets near the hotel was a chance of a lifetime."

Shaw's first crack at the Olympic trials might not have been the perfect outcome she was hoping for, but she is motivated to try to get back on the big stage.

"I feel like I have some unfinished business," Shaw said. "I'm looking forward to hopefully better races and making the trials in future years. I'm heading home to rest and recover, and then back to the Arctic to train."

Shaw graduated from Fitchburg High School in 2004, winning 16 championships in track and field and cross country during her high school career. She was a two-time indoor state champion in the 2-mile, an indoor New England champion in the 2-mile, an outdoor state champion in the 2-mile and a district champion in cross country in 2003.

In November, Shaw was inducted into the Fitchburg High School Athletic Hall of Fame as part of its eighth class. She ran in college for Boston University.

Shaw resides in Manchester, N.H., running for Millennium Racing Team, and works as a physical therapist.

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sentinel and Enterprise. So keep it civil.